Rayburn Country Resort

Nested among the tall pines of east Texas and adjacent to Lake Sam Rayburn is . If you're looking for an inexpensive and fun golfing vacation then you need to look into Rayburn Country. They offer 27 holes of very fun, scenic, and challenging golf; hotel or villa accommodations; outdoor activities; and dining. In addition they are only 5 minutes away from beautiful Lake Sam Rayburn and 15 minutes from Jasper.

Rayburn Country is best known for its three nine hole golf courses. What makes playing golf at Rayburn Country different and fun is that each nine hole course was designed by a different architect and each nine is unique and different from the other. For example, if you want to be challenged than you can play the Green Course which has narrow fairways, well protected small greens, and demands your A game. If you are trying to recover from a short evening or just want a relaxing and memorable round, than you can play the Blue Course. Below is a short summary of all three courses.

The Green course was designed by Robert Von Hagge and Bruce Devlin in 1979. Robert and Bruce also designed Lufkin's Crown Colony Country Club course which is consistently rated one of the best courses in Texas. These guys like to build Rayburn Country Green golf course

courses that will challenge just about every part of your game. The fairways are typically narrow and require some strategic shot making to position yourself for the next shot. On a number of holes you are best off leaving the driver in the bag. But the real test of your game is going to come on the approach shots. A lot of the greens are elevated or turtle top, small, and well protected.

The terrain for the Green Course is rolling hills and tree lined fairways. You'll find lots of up and downs - for example, the first hole is a multi-terraced downhill shot to a rather small landing zone, then a 150 yard shot up a steep hill to a very well protected hole. This hole is more fun than a roller coaster ride. What a unique and challenging way to start a round. It's also a good indicator of what the other 8 holes are like.

Don't let this 9 intimidate you, move up a set of tee boxes, forget about trying to score well, and just enjoy the challenge, scenic beauty, and the great outdoors. To learn more, read our review of the Green Course.

The Gold Course is another fun and scenic 9 holes, but not quite as challenging as the Green Course. This nine was built in 1968 by Jay Riviere it also has it's own unique personality. The fairways are wide and the greens are large. The layout includes dog legs, rolling hills, sloping fairways, and lots of trees. The review of the Gold Course will provide you with some additional information.

When we visited Rayburn Country, the Blue Course was closed for over seeding and aeration. However, we did take the cart and drive the course. It was designed in 1972 by Robert Trent Jones and of the three nines it is the second toughest course. The fairways are a little tighter than the Gold Course, six of the nine holes are doglegs, and the greens are elevated. You'll find a lot of steep faced bunkers lined with wood - hit the wood and you may get lucky and bounce out of the bunker, of course your opponent is going to sneer at you! This may be the prettiest of the nines. To learn more and see some pictures, click on this review of the Blue Course

The pro shop is fairly well equipped and the staff is friendly. There is a practice range and putting green - make sure you spend some time here before you head out for your round of golf. Practice you short game and keep the driver in the bag. Rayburn Golf Pro Shop Manager Jason French can customize a golf academy for your needs or provide lessons on any part of the game.

The courses are challenging and demanding, but the Stay & Play package is very easy on the pocketbook - in November 2007, packages started at $110 per person and included:

They have other packages which include longer stays and accommodations in either the Lodge or Villas. Check their website for more details. If you're not interested in unlimited golf, then Rayburn offers inexpensive Lodge or Villas rates which entitle you to full use of all of the amenities. If you can't spend the night, they have very reasonable daily fee rates for 18 holes of excellent golf. In 2007 a round ranged from $30 to $55 including cart - make sure you check with the pro shop for the current rates.

Rayburn Country offers three distinct types of accommodations to choose from depending upon your budget, sleeping preferences, and number of people. The hotel rooms are the most economical and in November of 2007 the rate was $60 per night. The hotel is a two story building with rooms with two queen beds, dresser, TV, and bathroom. The hotel is about two blocks from the pro shop and restaurant. The hotel was recently renovated but it is still showing some signs of aging. But for $60 you can't expect the Ritz Carlton and you're here to spend time golfing and enjoying the outdoors and won't need your room except to catch a little shut eye in preparation for the next day of golf and fun. Rayburn Country Villas

If you have a larger group, what more space, and a kitchen, then the Fairway Villas are perfect for you. As the name implies these one or two bedroom villas line the 9th fairway and green of the Green Course. The Villas are 100 yards from the clubhouse and have easy access to all the amenities. The Villas are perfect for a family or a group of 6 to 8 golfing buddies who don't mind sharing two queen beds in each bedroom. Rent in 2007 was $125 to $240. The Villas have been recently refurbished with new furniture and they include:

There is another cluster of smaller one bedroom villas between the clubhouse and the hotel. These villas have one bedroom with two queen beds, a bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, TV, and small patio. They are very comfortable and rented for $105 per night in 2007.

In addition to 27 holes of excellent golf, Rayburn Country Resort has a number of other amenities to keep you and or the kids entertained. Some of the amenities include:

The large clubhouse contains a restaurant, bar, pro shop, banquet and meeting rooms. The bar is full service and the prices for drinks are very reasonable, and the service is good. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At most resorts, since you are typically a captive guest, they charge an arm and leg for any food - we recently paid $13 for two eggs over easy at a well known resort. That's not the case at Rayburn Country, two eggs over easy with hash browns, sausage or bacon, and toast was $5.45. Lunch choices include sandwiches, burgers, shrimp Po-Boys, and prices ranged from $3.50 to $5.10. The dinner menu is not real extensive and included the lunch menu plus baskets (shrimp, catfish, and chicken), a couple salads, and four other entrees (hamburger steak, grilled chicken breast, chicken fried steak, and chicken quesadillas) with the most expensive item being $6.95. There is a great patio outside bar and restaurant with a fantastic view of the lake, a water feature, and the 9th green of the Blue course - excellent for a meal or a cold drink and pondering how you could have played hole number 7 better and bragging about how well you'll do tomorrow.

Rayburn Country Resort is less than 5 minutes to a boat ramp on beautiful Lake Sam Rayburn. Sam Rayburn is huge at 114,50 acres and 560 miles of shoreline. The majority of the lake is not heavily developed and the shoreline is a combination of sandy beaches, bluffs, and lots of tall pines. To the best of our knowledge there is only one restaurant on the lake and it is 200 yards from the water at one of the marinas and campgrounds. If the wind's not blowing, just anyplace on the lake is excellent for any of your water toys. There are lots of coves and arms for skiing and boarding - just keep an eye out for stumps and shallow water.

Sam Rayburn is best known for it's bass fishing and it is the host to several bass tournaments a year. If you are interested in catching a big one than hire one of these fishing guides. So here's a plan - go fishing in the morning, play golf in the afternoon, and have a fresh fish fry in the evening - can't get much better than that! To get some fishing tips and learn more about the lake, read our review of Sam Rayburn

The Stump, is just minutes from Rayburn Country Resort and they serve a very good breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The steaks and sandwiches are great and reasonably priced. The Stump is a gathering spot for the locals and fishing guides, and as such It's easy to strike up a conversation with them about where the big ones are biting. On weekends The Stump is home to karaoke and/or some live music. The owner, is a great guy and he can spin a yarn or two and tell you all about the many tournament fishing pro's shirts that he has displayed on all the walls.

On the night we had dinner at The Stump, they didn't have any music but recommended a place just outside the Jasper city limits and about 15 minutes from Rayburn Country Resort. They (sorry, but I lost the card and can't remember the name) serve burgers, sandwiches and more and usually have live music on the weekends. When we were there, they had a very good four man ensemble playing some jazz and blues.

Jasper, known as the "Jewel of the Forest," is the closest big town (population 8500) and we didn't have time to explore it when we stayed at Rayburn Country. When we asked a number of people what there is to see and do nearby Rayburn Country, we got a lot of blank stares and a couple "well, we have a Wal Mart in Jasper!" So plan on spending your spare time enjoying the amenities of Rayburn Country, the golf, or fishing and boating. .